Their british and european airports. And under stress because of their faith christians in pakistan prepare for christmas but theyre increasingly the target of deadly attacks we find out how one family has suffered but survives. Bryan thomas thanks so much for being with us the American Defense secretary jim mattis has resigned over President Trumps decision to withdraw u. S. Troops from syria a four star marine general has been defense secretary since the president took office in his Resignation Letter matter said my views on treating allies with respect and also being clear eyed about both malign actors and strategic competitors are strongly held and informed by over four decades of immersion in these issues not a says he was resigning because you have the right to have a secretary of defense whose views are better aligned with yours on these and other subjects. Now reports indicate matt has resigned after a last ditch attempt to persuade the president to reverse his decision on Syria White House press secretary Sarah Sanders denied suggestions that the president asked not just to resign secretary mabus has served the president and with the president for two years they have a Good Relationship ive seen up close and personal on a number of occasions and again they agree to disagree at times but that doesnt mean you cant have a Good Relationship with somebody he was laying out the reasons that he was stepping down from his post and beyond that i think its absurd to try to question the answer is i mean they were together for two years you know yes theyre ok the president has also ordered the pentagon to make plans to withdraw half of the fourteen thousand american troops in afghanistan and unnamed officials saying they could be home by summer u. S. Troops deployed to afghanistan youll remember after the september eleventh attacks in two thousand and one since then twenty four hundred u. S. Soldiers have died fighting the taliban in americas longest war. For the very latest lets bring indeed obvious stuff on siemens in washington good morning stefan amount of resignation is the latest in a string of administration departures but is this one different. Its different because its the most significant we have the other we can enter a secretary right in thinking resigning but he was facing an avalanche of scandals and investigations so that was not a real surprise but matt is resigning and in this form without in this letter you would notice not one word of praise for the president thats a little bit unusual normally when you write those Resignation Letters to the white house or to the president you always say loaded are nice things about your former boss this one. Turned out to be a little bit of an ugly divorce and it is significant because james readies was always seen as the adult at the cabinets table and as a so called ball work against the most rational decisions of donald trump in terms of Foreign Policy so yes that is leaving is significant ok now democrats have been among those expressing disappointment at the resignation heres House Minority leader nancy pelosi. And what it means to our country for a message it sends to own troops. Were any indication what. You will. Get this all started stuff on with syria how united are democrats and republicans in opposing the president on the pullout from american troops from syria. Very very united unusually so also there is a bipartisan. Bipartisan front against this decision the president made to pull troops out of syria democrats as well as the g. O. P. The republicans are when you saw an old saying this was the worst ideas is a bad move the u. S. Will loose the strategic and Tactical Advantage in the middle east and frankly a lot of republicans even republicans and democrats anyway say like there is really now without James Madison james mattis quitting his job secretary of defense there is not really a comprehensive middle east Foreign Policy by this administration so republicans and democrats united in their outrage and distain for that decision to pull troops out of syria ok this isnt just about syria though the president has also announced that hes pulling out half of the fourteen thousand troops in afghanistan as well as there been reaction to that washington. And the reaction is pretty much the same as a i just explained towards syria as you reported earlier longest war for the United States quite a significant death toll in terms of or loss of american lives soldiers in this longest war however nobody in a republican as well as democratic or any military planning circles or Foreign Policy circles understands why the president now is pulling also out of afghanistan even if you just said hes pulling have off the troops out of there yes that was all a promise from during the campaign to bring the troops home but on the other hand does it really make sense to leave than the fear is here that in a few years time the United States has to spend more money and more effort to bring it to spec to clean up after the mess which will be left after of the troops are leaving so same as in regarding the syria decision not no good vibes towards the president and that decision from republicans and democrats stephens humans in washington thanks very much for that stuff. Well as we just heard there are critics of the syria pullout say it has given russia a strategic advantage in the region i asked russian journalist and analyst constantine agard if moscow sees the american pullout as a tactical win for the crumbs. I think very much and i think that president clinton can say its now with the americans out of rome the soon outlets wouldnt like that to see him and the iranians have a country to themselves and i suppose dead its very interesting that. That happened actually when russia is trying to push forward its own version of a political solution for syria i suppose that the americans are leaving syria really the confessions to some extent what mr putin wanted to confirm all along since he sent his troops his air force mostly just syrian two thousand and fifteen that he is the worlds ultimate authority on stopping regime change as he saw the Syrian Civil War so i think there is at least for now definitely some reason for this eight technical joining in moscow ok technical joy about what will be russias next move now well moscow back a Syrian Military push into the area now controlled by kurds who want their own state in northern syria. Well i think that there is more reliance here on the president ever go around of turkey and its not accidental that mr putin mentioned him at his yesterdays annual press conference praising him praise resoluteness and for his ability to take his own decisions in spite of being a turkey being a nato member so i suppose that first of all mr putin will see what do because putin doesnt have any Ground Forces but of course i think that with americans out hell be more free for example to get a cuppa or send russian mercenaries a socalled private so i military companies to. Do areas which could be of concern for president assad yes i think that essentially what you see you see russia and iran and having three at hand in syria today. Ok briefly if you could President Trump says a Islamic State has been beaten in syria is that the russian opinion or does moscow still consider Islamic State a threat inside syria well i suppose that there is intelligence pointing that there arent and so the sonic stage although it is pretty much weakened i suppose that russia never really worried that much about isis and then that because were doing most of the fight think what it was caring about is the safety of the regime of president assad and here i think for the now at least putin can say that the goal is not accomplished is very close to being accomplished ok constantine agroforestry who is a very much for those comments joining us today from vilnius thanks very much. Now for a look at some of the other stories making news this hour hungarys president has signed into law a controversy all labor reform dubbed the slave law by its opponents thousands of taking part in demonstrations against Prime Minister viktor or bums government since parliamentarians passed them all sweet hikes the over time that employers can demand and allows payment to be made for that to be delayed by up to three years. Separate us protesters gathered in barcelona on thursday night calling for independence for the catalonia region demonstrations taking place as spains Prime MinisterPedro Sanchez met the head of catalonia separatists government cream thought a further protests are planned for later today. Its to britain now where Londons Gatwick airport the second busiest in britain says that limited departures and arrivals are now possible after repeated drone flyovers had earlier closed runways now more than one hundred twenty thousand passengers are now stranded at gatwick the flyovers appeared to be a deliberate attempt to disrupt air traffic although the police say theres no indication of a terrorist motive they are considering shooting down the drone or drones its not certain how many are involved. A second night of chaos at one of the u. K. s busiest airports. All planes remained grounded through thursday as authorities scrambled to find out whos behind the mystery train sightings their frustration shared by thousands of stranded passengers. Is a neatness and selfish. This is spread out and one thing love believes. This is america. And why did the sound is why its being shot down not by Strange Police say they are considering cheating the drains than a tactic earlier dismissed as too dangerous theyve also brought in the army and turning to the public for help. One of the appeals from me is that someone may have an image of the drone we dont know what the throne is and of course in terms of our tactics and what we do operationally is really serious for us just one of the Big Questions police are yet to answer they say theres no indication of terrorist involvement whoever is responsible is breaking british law which prohibits flying drones within one kilometer of an airfield or above an altitude of one hundred twenty metres the activity weve seen is illegal and those who are caught in dangerous craft can face up to five years in prison and thats legislation that weve already introduced and actually were consulting on further aspects of this including for the Police Powers but until these planes are allowed to take off thats likely scant comfort for passengers facing disruption at the height of the holiday season. On pakistan christians are increasingly the target of deadly attacks at least partly because of your blasphemy laws often fuel intolerance and hatred the most high profile case involves ozzy of b. B. Our catholic woman recently acquitted of blasphemy. Always christmas approaching what is life like for Pakistans Christians zabad amir that some of them. Christmas is a favorite time of year for this Christian Family in islamabad the cougars appreciate being together especially as their lives were completely turned upside down seven years ago the shot of cool kid was falsely accused of blasphemy jailed and acquitted five months later in that time he lost his job and home but is grateful he didnt lose his life to live a free man now shot its detention continues to haunt him. We always live in fear because of this we feel insecure. So when we talk about your future i think what kind of future can we have it all explained the law and policies here need to be implemented properly. Blasphemy is an extremely dangerous and emotive subject in pakistan and his name will forever be associated with it the catholic laborer spent eight years on death row after being accused of insulting islam she was recently acquitted of all charges response violent protests across the country some hardliners called for r. C. I. Midges involved in the ruling to be hanged. No one convicted of blasphemy has ever be legally its accusers about to start but there are plenty of examples of people in have been killed by lynch mobs just after being accused of it and its religious minorities it was disproportionately affected by the controversial laws you know. Pakistans christians make up around two percent of the population and have been the target of escalating attacks in recent he is human Rights Groups claim accusations of blasphemy is seen as an easy way to settle disputes as a hard to disprove but the acquittal of ossie bibi also provides a ray of hope for this pastor. The fact that an innocent woman can be sentenced to death has made a scare and it will set a bad precedent where they can arrest anyone and prosecute them so when we heard that she had finally acquitted you cannot be of how happy we were we were the two churches and offer prayers thanks to god. For bin laden a kind of a but we were into fearful when we were young but we do have some fears now by for example if there are gatherings we dont go outdoors when children go to church and they see armed guards they do ask why is there so much security security. Attacks will continue to happen here no matter what will remain united under the name of jesus because of that. For many christians the facts that he has been freed is a christmas miracle only could not have dreamed of and even though she remains in hiding in the festive period provided some season and obscene isnt what the future holds. So what can be done to help pakistans first cross over to. From Amnesty International south asia joining us from Colombo Sri Lanka good morning to you ill see abebe might be out of jail but she has to remain in hiding out of fear of being murdered we heard about the lynch mobs in pakistan how dangerous is it for christians in that country. Well thank you for having me i think its its. Its absolutely i mean everything is all set thats me our premier good look at see me as something that can set off a series of events that can carry violent results and you know weve seen it since in one thousand nine hundred or as oppressions have been accused or convicted of or if you know killed or something assume you know Something Like being accused of insulting the holy prophet or designating the koran or even sort of misusing religious epithets whatever that davey and so i dont think we need to look for more evidence of just how dangerous pakistan can be because its something thats so sensitive that it the mere accusation of which can result to quite literally in a death sentence if not in the courts and perhaps in the streets as weve seen in the matches where a student was lynched to death by thousands of students in the restaurant so it in the evidence and read ok is there of course and it is in leeds at least partly due to the fact that in pakistan you have a constitutionally mandated discrimination how much pressure is your organization putting on the government in pakistan to rewrite its laws to and try and religious freedom. I think its important to remember that. These das me though i think you call that sort of focuses on offenses against religious visits against religion that these dogs and evolution it started its something thats been systematically the main sort of shrinking steves for minorities in the sand which started as you know last minute by the British Empire and now sort of become quite specific to the bow to being a sort of insulting the only prophet so in terms of depression if youre going to forswear lobbying as hard as we possibly can to meet. To to consistently report on these been in places that underscore the urgency with which these witnesses reform their. Ok now now britain recently denied a cylon to aussie abebe what should the us be doing to help Pakistans Christian minority is granting asylum for some of them at least a way forward i think that if the west is the best place to be of course theyre quite quite aware just how much danger that the dangers of these minorities are and sign and if it is the need of the hour as it is for us yes its a its a shame that the bridge that that you government has not been able to walk for it but whatever reasons they seem to have justified it with but i think in the west has has a Critical Role to play in terms of pressuring the government to do more to save the minorities and. Rimmel the dean thank you so very much for joining us this morning and all the best to you in your efforts there in pakistan thanks very much. Its going to businesses market now in the direction of oil prices right now remain very unpredictable one day up one day down yep theres a lot of volatility there the price of brant crude is seeing a recovery this morning that of course after midweek battering that so prices dropped to its lowest level in fifteen months i was yesterday it is now trading again at around fifty five dollars a barrel but all prezs have been steadily sliding for weeks now dropping more than twenty five dollars since the beginning awful toba investors hopes that supply cuts from opaque will eventually prop up prices of the cut tail of all producing countries may five that is easy as it. Earlier this month the oil cartel opec and its partner countries agreed to cut production to one point two Million Barrels a day from january the regime to reduce supply and boost prices the price of a barrel of bread has been dragged down by a combination of factors the global Macro Economic outlook isnt shining on the oil industry and this weeks rate hike from the Us Fe